The invention relates to new indole derivatives, processes for their preparation and their use in medicaments.
In EP-A-580 550, oxamic acid derivatives are described which have cholesterol-lowering properties in mammals. The reduction of plasma cholesterol, in particular of LDL cholesterol, is emphasized as a pharmacological property. Cholesterol-lowering actions are also described in EP-A-188 351 for certain diphenyl ethers having thyroid-hormone-like actions, which differ clearly in their chemical structure from the compounds according to the invention.
WO 00/51971 discloses oxamic acid derivatives having indole partial structure as thyroid receptor ligands for the treatment of various diseases.
Further indoles which are connected in the 5-position via a bridge member having a substituted phenyl ring are known (WO 94/14770; EP-A-674 619 A1 or WO 94/26737). No thyroid-hormone-like properties are described for these 5-substituted indoles.
WO 99/50268 discloses substituted indolealkanecarboxylic acids which are suitable for the treatment of chronic complications caused by diabetes mellitus.
WO 95/20588 discloses indole derivatives having action as 5-HT1 agonists.
WO 98/11895 discloses the use of 5-HT1 agonists for the treatment of migraine; indole derivatives are also indicated as suitable active compounds. In WO 98/06402, use for the treatment of coryza or rhinitis is described for the same structures.
EP-A-639 573 discloses benzo-fused 5-membered ring heterocycles and their use in medicaments and diagnostics. The disclosed compounds are inhibitors of the cellular sodium-proton antiporter (Na+/H+ exchanger).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,468,899 relates to bicyclic aryl compounds having selective properties as LTB4 antagonists.
EP-A-377 450 discloses substituted indole, benzofuran and benzothiophene derivatives having action as 5-lipoxygenase inhibitors.
JP-A-07145 147 discloses testosterone 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors derived from benzoic acid, which can be employed for the treatment of prostate cancer and certain hair loss disorders.
In GB-A-2 253 848, phenylindole ethers di-ortho-substituted in the phenyl moiety and having herbicidal action are described which can be employed as crop protection agents. Thyromimetic actions have hitherto not been published for these ortho-substituted indoles.
The object of the invention is the provision of new compounds having improved actions, in particular pharmaceutical actions.
It has now been found that compounds of the general formula (I) 
in which
Z represents O, S, SO, SO2, CH2, CHF, CF2 or represents NR9, in which R9 denotes hydrogen or (C1-C4)-alkyl,
R1 and R2 are identical or different and represent hydrogen, halogen, cyano, (C1-C6)-alkyl, CF3, CHF2, CH2F, vinyl or (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, where at least one of the two substituents is unequal to hydrogen and in the ortho position to the bridge bond,
R3 represents a group of the formula
xe2x80x94Amxe2x80x94Dnxe2x80x94Eoxe2x80x94Gpxe2x80x94Lxe2x80x94R10,
xe2x80x83in which
A represents O, S, NR11 or represents the group xe2x80x94(CR12xe2x95x90CR13)xe2x80x94, in which R11 denotes hydrogen or (C1-C4)-alkyl, and R12 and R13 are identical or different and denote hydrogen, cyano, (C1-C4)-alkyl or (C1-C4)-alkoxy,
D represents a straight-chain (C1-C3)-alkylene group, which can be mono- or polysubstituted, identically or differently, by (C1-C4)-alkyl, hydroxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, halogen, amino, mono-(C1-C4)-alkylamino, mono-(C1-C4)-acylamino or (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonylamino,
E and L independently of one another represent a C(O) or SO2 group,
G represents NR14, in which R14 denotes hydrogen or (C1-C4)-alkyl, or represents a straight-chain (C1-C3)-alkylene group, which can be mono- or polysubstituted, identically or differently, by (C1-C4)-alkyl, hydroxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, halogen, amino, mono- or di-(C1-C4)-alkylamino or mono-(C1-C4)-acylamino,
m, n, o and p independently of one another in each case represent the number 0 or 1, with the proviso that
in the case that L represents a Cxe2x95x90O group, the sum (m+n+o+p) is unequal to the number 0,
and
in the case that m and o in each case represent the number 1, A represents the radical NR11 and E and L in each case represent a Cxe2x95x90O group, the sum (n+p) is unequal to the number 0,
and
R10 represents OR15, NR16R17, (C1-C10)-alkyl, (C3-C8)-cycloalkyl, (C2-C6)-alkenyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, (C6-C10)-arylmethyl or represents a saturated, partly unsaturated or aromatic 5- to 10-membered heterocycle having up to four identical or different heteroatoms from the group consisting of N, O and/or S, where the abovementioned radicals are optionally substituted by one, two or three identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxyl, oxo, cyano, nitro, amino, NR18R19, trifluoromethyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C1-C6)-alkoxy optionally substituted by R20, (C3-C8)-cycloalkyl, (C6-C10)-aryl, which for its part is optionally substituted by halogen, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, nitro or cyano; xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R21, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR22, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94NR23R24, xe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94NR25R26, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R27 and xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR28, where
R15, R16, R17, R18, R19, R20, R21, R22, R23, R24, R25, R26, R27 and R28 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or (C3-C8)-cycloalkyl, which for their part are optionally mono- or polysubstituted, identically or differently, by halogen, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy-carbonyl-amino, (C1-C5)-alkanoyloxy, a heterocycle or phenyl which is optionally substituted by halogen or hydroxyl,
or the group
xe2x80x94Lxe2x80x94R10 represents a group of the formula 
xe2x80x83in which
R29 denotes hydrogen or (C1-C4)-alkyl,
or
R3 represents a group of the formula 
xe2x80x83in which
Q represents a 5- to 6-membered saturated, partly unsaturated or aromatic heterocycle having up to four identical or different heteroatoms from the group consisting of N, O and/or S, which for its part is optionally mono- to trisubstituted, identically or differently, by oxo (xe2x95x90O), thioxo (xe2x95x90S), hydroxyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or phenyl,
r represents the number 0, 1 or 2,
and
the ring Het denotes a 5- to 6-membered saturated or partly unsaturated heterocycle having up to three identical or different heteroatoms from the group consisting of N, O and/or S, which is optionally mono- to trisubstituted, identically or differently, by oxo (xe2x95x90O), thioxo (xe2x95x90S), hydroxyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or phenyl,
R4 and R5 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, cyano, nitro, (C1-C4)-alkyl or the radical of the formula NR30R31, where R30 and R31 have the meaning indicated for R15 and independently of one another can be identical to or different from this substituent,
R6 represents hydrogen, halogen or represents a group of the formula
xe2x80x94Maxe2x80x94R32,
xe2x80x83in which
M represents a carbonyl group, a sulphonyl group or a methylene group,
a represents the number 0 or 1,
and
R32 has the meaning of R10 indicated above and can be identical to or different from this substituent,
R7 represents hydrogen or represents an acyl group which can be removed under physiological conditions with formation of an NH function, preferably represents hydrogen or acetyl,
and
R8 has the meaning of R6 indicated above and can be identical to or different from this substituent,
and their pharmaceutically tolerable salts, solvates, hydrates and hydrates of the salts,
preferably the compounds which are trisubstituted, in particular tetrasubstituted, in the phenyl moiety and preferably in the 1-, 2-, 4- and 6-position and have a substituent in the 3-position in the indole ring,
exhibit a pharmacological action and can be used as medicaments or for the preparation of pharmaceutical formulations.
Heterocycles in the definition of R6, R8 or R10 which may preferably be mentioned are:
A 5- to 10-membered saturated, partly unsaturated or aromatic, optionally benzofused heterocycle having up to 4 heteroatoms from the group consisting of S, N and/or O, i.e. a heterocycle, which can contain one or more double bonds and which is linked via a ring carbon atom or a ring nitrogen atom. Examples which may be mentioned are: tetrahydrofuryl, pyrrolidinyl, pyrrolinyl, piperidinyl, 1,2-dihydropyridinyl, 1,4-dihydropyridinyl, piperazinyl, morpholinyl, azepinyl, 1,4-diazepinyl, furanyl, pyrrolyl, thienyl, thiazolyl, oxazolyl, imidazolyl, triazolyl, tetrazolyl, pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyrazinyl, pyridazinyl, pyrimidinonyl, pyridazinonyl.
Preferred heterocycles fom this list are: pyridyl, pyrimidinyl, pyridazinyl, pyrimidinonyl, pyridazinonyl and thienyl.
Alkyl in the context of the invention represents a straight-chain or branched alkyl radical preferably having 1 to 15, 1 to 12, 1 to 10, 1 to 8, 1 to 6, 1 to 4 or 1 to 3 carbon atoms. A straight-chain or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 3 carbon atoms is preferred. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, isopropyl, n-, i-, s- or t-butyl, n-pentyl and n-hexyl.
Aryl in the context of the invention represents an aromatic radical preferably having 6 to 10 carbon atoms. Preferred aryl radicals are phenyl and naphthyl.
Cycloalkyl in the context of the invention represents a cycloalkyl group preferably having 3 to 8, 3 to 7 or 3 to 6 carbon atoms. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl and cycloheptyl.
Alkoxy in the context of the invention preferably represents a straight-chain or branched alkoxy radical having 1 to 6, 1 to 4 or 1 to 3 carbon atoms. A straight-chain or branched alkoxy radical having 1 to 3 carbon atoms is preferred. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, isopropoxy, t-butoxy, n-pentoxy and n-hexoxy.
Alkoxycarbonyl in the context of the invention preferably represents a straight-chain or branched alkoxy radical having 1 to 6 or 1 to 4 carbon atoms, which is linked via a carbonyl group. A straight-chain or branched alkoxycarbonyl radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms is preferred. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: methoxycarbonyl, ethoxycarbonyl, n-propoxycarbonyl, isopropoxycarbonyl and t-butoxycarbonyl.
Alkanoyloxy in the context of the invention preferably represents a straight-chain or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 6, 1 to 5 or 1 to 3 carbon atoms, which in the 1-position carries a doubly bonded oxygen atom and is linked in the 1-position via a further oxygen atom. A straight-chain or branched alkanoyloxy radical having 1 to 3 carbon atoms is preferred. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: acetoxy, propionoxy, n-butyroxy, i-butyroxy, pivaloyloxy and n-hexanoyloxy.
Monoalkylamino in the context of the invention represents an amino group having a straight-chain or branched alkyl substituent, which preferably has 1 to 6, 1 to 4 or 1 to 2 carbon atoms. A straight-chain or branched monoalkylamino radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms is preferred. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: methylamino, ethylamino, n-propylamino, isopropylamino, t-butylamino, n-pentylamino and n-hexylamino.
Dialkylamino in the context of the invention represents an amino group having two identical or different straight-chain or branched alkyl substituents, which preferably in each case have 1 to 6, 1 to 4 or 1 to 2 carbon atoms. Straight-chain or branched dialkylamino radicals in each case having 1 to 4 carbon atoms are preferred. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: N,N-dimethylamino, N,N-diethylamino, N-ethyl-N-methylamino, N-methyl-N-n-propylamino, N-isopropyl-N-n-propylamino, N-t-butyl-N-methylamino, N-ethyl-N-n-pentylamino and N-n-hexyl-N-methylamino.
Monoacylamino in the context of the invention represents an amino group having a straight-chain or branched alkanoyl substituent, which preferably has 1 to 6, 1 to 4 or 1 to 2 carbon atoms and is linked via the carbonyl group. A monoacylamino radical having 1 to 2 carbon atoms is preferred. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: formamido, acetamido, propionamido, n-butyramido and pivaloylamido.
Alkoxycarbonylamino in the context of the invention represents an amino group having a straight-chain or branched alkoxycarbonyl substituent, which in the alkoxy radical preferably has 1 to 6 or 1 to 4 carbon atoms and is linked via the carbonyl group. An alkoxycarbonylamino radical having 1 to 4 carbon atoms is preferred. The following may be mentioned by way of example and preferably: methoxycarbonylamino, ethoxycarbonylamino, n-propoxycarbonylamino and t-butoxycarbonylamino.
Halogen in the context of the invention includes fluorine, chlorine, bromine and iodine. Fluorine, chlorine and bromine are preferred.
Depending on the substituent pattern, the compounds according to the invention can exist in stereoisomeric forms, which either behave as image and mirror image (enantiomers), or which do not behave as image and mirror image (diastereomers). The invention relates both to the enantiomers or diastereomers and to their respective mixtures. Like the diastereomers, the racemic forms can be separated into the stereoisomerically uniform constituents in a known manner.
Furthermore, certain compounds can be present in tautomeric forms. This is known to the person skilled in the art, and compounds of this type are likewise included by the scope of the invention.
The compounds according to the invention can also be present as salts. In the context of the invention, physiologically acceptable salts are preferred.
Physiologically acceptable salts can be salts of the compounds according to the invention with inorganic or organic acids. Preferred salts are those with inorganic acids such as, for example, hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, phosphoric acid or sulphuric acid, or salts with organic carboxylic or sulphonic acids such as, for example, acetic acid, propionic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, lactic acid, benzoic acid, or methanesulphonic acid, ethane-sulphonic acid, benzenesulphonic acid, toluenesulphonic acid or naphthalenedisulphonic acid.
Physiologically acceptable salts can likewise be salts of the compounds according to the invention with bases, such as, for example, metal or ammonium salts. Preferred examples are alkali metal salts (e.g. sodium or potassium salts), alkaline earth metal salts (e.g. magnesium or calcium salts), and ammonium salts, which are derived from ammonia or organic amines, such as, for example, ethylamine, di- or triethylamine, ethyldiisopropylamine, monoethanolamine, di- or triethanolamine, dicyclohexylamine., dimethylaminoethanol, dibenzylamine, N-methylmorpholine, dihydroabietylamine, 1-ephenamine, methylpiperidine, arginine, lysine, ethylenediamine or 2-phenylethylamine.
The compounds according to the invention can also be present in the form of their solvates, in particular in the form of their hydrates.
Moreover, the invention also includes prodrugs of the compounds according to the invention. xe2x80x9cProdrugsxe2x80x9d are designated according to the invention as those derivatives of the compounds of the general formula (I) which can be biologically less active or even inactive themselves, but after administration are converted under physiological conditions into the corresponding biologically active form (for example metabolically, solvolytically or in another manner).
Preferred compounds of the general formula (I) are those
in which
Z represents O, S or CH2,
R1 and R2 are identical or different and represent hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, (C1-C4)-alkyl, CF3, CHF2, CH2F, vinyl or (C3-C5)-cycloalkyl, where at least one of the two substituents is unequal to hydrogen and is in the ortho position to the bridge bond, in particular both substituents are unequal to hydrogen and both are in the ortho position,
R3 represents a group of the formula
xe2x80x94Amxe2x80x94Dnxe2x80x94Eoxe2x80x94Gpxe2x80x94Lxe2x80x94R10,
xe2x80x83in which
A represents O, S, NR11, or represents the group xe2x80x94(CR12xe2x95x90CR13)xe2x80x94, in which R11 denotes hydrogen or methyl, and R12 and R13 are identical or different and denote hydrogen or methoxy,
D represents a straight-chain (C1-C3)-alkylene group which can be mono- or disubstituted, identically or differently, by (C1-C4)-alkyl, hydroxyl, methoxy, ethoxy, fluorine, chlorine, amino, mono-(C1-C4)-alkylamino or mono-(C1-C4)-acylamino,
E represents a C(O) group,
L represents a C(O) or SO2 group,
G represents an NH group or represents a straight-chain (C1-C3)-alkylene group, which can be mono- or disubstituted, identically or differently, by methyl, ethyl, hydroxyl, methoxy, fluorine, chlorine, amino, methylamino or acetylamino,
m, n, o and p independently of one another in each case represent the number 0 or 1, with the proviso that
in the case that L represents a Cxe2x95x90O group, the sum (m+n+o+p) is unequal to the number 0,
and
in the case that m and o in each case represent the number 1, A represents the radical NR11 and L represents a Cxe2x95x90O group, the sum (n+p) is unequal to the number 0,
and
R10 represents OR15, NR16R17, (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, naphthyl, phenyl, benzyl or represents a saturated, partly unsaturated or aromatic 5- to 6-membered heterocycle having up to four identical or different heteroatoms from the group consisting of N, O and/or S, where the abovementioned radicals are optionally substituted by one, two or three identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxyl, oxo, cyano, nitro, amino, NR18R19, trifluoromethyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy optionally substituted by R20, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R21, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR22, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94NR23R24, xe2x80x94SO2NR25R26, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R27 and xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR28, where
R15, R16, R17, R18, R19, R20, R21, R22, R23, R24, R25, R26, R27 and R28 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, which for their part are optionally mono- or polysubstituted, identically or differently, by halogen, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy-carbonylamino, (C1-C5)-alkanoyloxy, a heterocycle or phenyl which is optionally substituted by halogen or hydroxyl,
or
R3 represents a group of the formula 
R4 and R5 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, halogen or (C1-C4)-alkyl,
R6 represents hydrogen, halogen or a group of the formula
xe2x80x94Maxe2x80x94R32,
xe2x80x83in which
M represents a carbonyl group, a sulphonyl group or a methylene group,
a represents the number 0 or 1,
and
R32 represents (C1-C10)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, (C2-C4)-alkenyl, naphthyl, phenyl, benzyl, pyridyl, pyridazinyl or pyridazinonyl, where the abovementioned radicals are optionally substituted by one, two or three identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxyl, cyano, nitro, amino, NR18R19, trifluoromethyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, phenyl, which for its part is optionally substituted by halogen, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, trifluoromethyl, nitro or cyano, xe2x80x94OC(O)xe2x80x94R21, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR22, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94NR23R24, xe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94NR25R26, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R27 and xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR28, where
R18, R19, R21, R22, R23, R24, R25, R26, R27 and R28 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, which for their part are optionally mono- or polysubstituted, identically or differently, by halogen, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonylamino, (C1-C5)-alkanoyloxy, a heterocycle or phenyl which is optionally substituted by halogen or hydroxyl,
R7 represents hydrogen,
and
R8 has the meaning of R6 indicated above and can be identical to or different from this substituent,
and their pharmaceutically tolerable salts, solvates, hydrates and hydrates of the salts.
Particularly preferred compounds of the general formula (I) are those
in which
Z represents O or CH2,
R1 and R2 are identical or different and represent hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, (C1-C4)-alkyl, CF3, CHF2, CH2F, vinyl or (C3-C5)-cycloalkyl, where at least one of the two substituents is unequal to hydrogen and in the ortho position to the bridge bond, in particular both substituents are unequal to hydrogen and both are in the ortho position,
R3 represents a group of the formula
xe2x80x94Amxe2x80x94Dnxe2x80x94Eoxe2x80x94Gpxe2x80x94Lxe2x80x94R10,
xe2x80x83in which
A represents O, S or NH,
D represents a straight-chain (C1-C3)-alkylene group, which can be mono- or disubstituted, identically or differently, by methyl, ethyl, hydroxyl, methoxy, fluorine, amino or acetylamino,
E represents a C(O) group,
L represents a C(O) or SO2 group,
G represents an NH group or represents a methylene group,
m, n, o and p independently of one another in each case represent the number 0 or 1, with the proviso that
in the case that L represents a Cxe2x95x90O group , the sum (m+n+o+p) is unequal to the number 0,
and
in the case that m and o in each case represent the number 1, A represents the radical NH and L represents a Cxe2x95x90O group, the sum (n+p) is unequal to the number 0,
and
R10 represents OR15, NR16R17, (C1-C6)-alkyl, phenyl, benzyl or represents an aromatic 5- to 6-membered heterocycle having up to four identical or different heteroatoms from the group consisting of N, O and/or S, where the abovementioned radicals are optionally substituted by one, two or three identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, hydroxyl, oxo, cyano, nitro, amino, NR18R19, trifluoromethyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy optionally substituted by R20, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R21, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR22, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94NR23R24, xe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94NR25R26, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R27 and xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR28, where
R15, R16, R17, R18, R19, R20, R21, R22, R23, R24, R25, R26, R27 and R28 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, which for their part are optionally mono- to disubstituted, identically or differently, by fluorine, chlorine, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonylamino, (C1-C5)-alkanoyloxy, a heterocycle or phenyl which is optionally substituted by fluorine, chlorine or hydroxyl,
R4 and R5 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine or methyl,
R6 represents hydrogen, halogen or a group of the formula
xe2x80x94Maxe2x80x94R32,
xe2x80x83in which
M represents a sulphonyl group or a methylene group,
a represents the number 0 or 1,
and
R32 represents (C1-C10)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, pyridyl, pyridazinyl or pyridazinonyl, where the abovementioned radicals are optionally substituted by one or two identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, hydroxyl, cyano, nitro, amino, NR18R19, trifluoromethyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R21, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR22, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94NR23R24, xe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94NR25R26, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R27 and xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR28, where
R18, R19, R21, R22, R23, R24, R25, R26, R27 and R28 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, which for their part are optionally mono- or disubstituted, identically or differently, by fluorine, chlorine, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl-amino, (C1-C5)-alkanoyloxy, a heterocycle or phenyl which is optionally substituted by fluorine, chlorine or hydroxyl,
R7 represents hydrogen,
R8 represents hydrogen, carboxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, pyridyl, phenylsulphonyl or benzylsulphonyl, where the abovementioned radicals are optionally substituted by one or two identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, bromine, hydroxyl, cyano, nitro, amino, NR18R19, trifluoromethyl, (C1-C4)-alkyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R21, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR22, xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94NR23R24, xe2x80x94SO2xe2x80x94NR25R26, xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R27 and xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OR28, where
R18, R19, R21, R22, R23, R24, R25, R26, R27 and R28 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, which for their part are optionally mono- or polysubstituted, identically or differently, by fluorine, chlorine, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonylamino, (C1-C5)-alkanoyloxy, a heterocycle or phenyl which is optionally substituted by fluorine, chlorine or hydroxyl,
and their pharmaceutically tolerable salts, solvates, hydrates and hydrates of the salts.
Very particularly preferred compounds of the general formula (I) are those
in which
Z represents O,
R1 and R2 are identical or different and represent hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine, bromine, (C1-C4)-alkyl, CF3, CHF2, CH2F, vinyl or (C3-C5)-cycloalkyl, where at least one of the two substituents is unequal to hydrogen and in the ortho position to the bridge bond, in particular both substituents are unequal to hydrogen and both are in the ortho position,
R3 represents a group of the formula
xe2x80x94Amxe2x80x94Dnxe2x80x94Eoxe2x80x94Gpxe2x80x94Lxe2x80x94R10,
xe2x80x83in which
A represents O, S or NH,
D represents a methylene or ethylene group, which can be mono- to disubstituted, identically or differently, by methyl, ethyl, fluorine, amino or acetylamino,
E represents a C(O) group,
L represents a C(O) or SO2 group,
G represents an NH group or represents a methylene group,
m, n, o and p independently of one another in each case represent the number 0 or 1, with the proviso that
in the case that L represents a Cxe2x95x90O group, the sum (m+n+o+p) is unequal to the number 0,
and
in the case that m and o in each case represent the number 1, A represents the radical NH and L represents a Cxe2x95x90O group, the sum (n+p) is unequal to the number 0,
and
R10 represents OR15, NR16R17 or represents (C1-C4)-alkyl, where R15, R16 and R17 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl, (C1-C6)-alkyl or (C3-C6)-cycloalkyl, which for their part are optionally mono- to disubstituted, identically or differently, by fluorine, chlorine, hydroxyl, amino, carboxyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxy, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl, (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonylamino, (C1-C5)-alkanoyloxy, a hetero cycle or phenyl,
R4 and R5 are identical or different and in each case represent hydrogen, fluorine, chlorine or methyl,
R6 represents hydrogen, halogen, (C1-C10)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkylmethyl, phenyl, benzyl, pyridazinonylmethyl, phenylsulphonyl or pyridylsulphonyl, where the abovementioned aromatic radicals are optionally substituted by one or two identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, cyano, nitro, trifluoromethyl, methyl, methoxy, carboxyl or methoxycarbonyl,
R7 represents hydrogen,
R8 represents hydrogen, (C1-C6)-alkyl, (C3-C7)-cycloalkyl, phenyl, benzyl, phenylsulphonyl or benzylsulphonyl, where the abovementioned aromatic radicals are optionally substituted by one or two identical or different substituents selected from the group consisting of fluorine, chlorine, cyano, trifluoromethyl, methyl or methoxy,
and their pharmaceutically tolerable salts, solvates, hydrates and hydrates of the salts.
Compounds of the general formula (I) which are of particular importance are those in which
Z represents CH2 or in particular represents oxygen,
R1 and R2 are identical or different and represent methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, chlorine, bromine, CF3, vinyl or cyclopropyl, where both substituents are in the ortho position to the bridge bond,
R4 and R5 independently of one another represent methyl, fluorine or chlorine or in particular represent hydrogen,
and
R7 represents hydrogen.
The abovementioned radical definitions which are general or indicated in preferred ranges apply both to the final products of the formula (I) and correspondingly to the starting substances or intermediates needed in each case for preparation.
The radical definitions specifically indicated in the respective combinations or preferred combinations of radicals are arbitrarily also replaced, independently of the respective combinations of the radicals indicated, by radical definitions of other combinations.
Particularly preferred compounds of the formula (I) are those in which Z represents oxygen.
Particularly preferred compounds of the formula (I) are those in which R3 represents a group of the formula 
which is located in the para position to the bridge bond and in which R10 represents hydroxyl or the radical xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R10 has the indicated meanings of R10 for a group which, in the sense of a prodrug, can be broken down to the carboxylic acid xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OH or its salts.
Particularly preferred compounds of the formula (I) are those in which R4, R5 and R7 represent hydrogen.
Particularly preferred compounds of the formula (I) are those in which R1 and R2 are both situated in the ortho position to Z and represent bromine, trifluoromethyl, ethyl, cyclopropyl and in particular represent methyl or chlorine.
Very particularly preferred compounds of the formula (Ia) 
are those in which
R3 represents a group of the formula xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OH, xe2x80x94CHFxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OH or xe2x80x94CF2xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OH,
and
R6 represents straight-chain or branched (C1-C8)-alkyl.
Very particularly preferred compounds of the formula (Ib) 
are likewise those in which
R1 and R2 are identical or different and represent bromine, trifluoromethyl, ethyl, cyclopropyl and in particular represent methyl or chlorine,
R3 represents a group of the formula xe2x80x94NHxe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94CH2xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R10, in which
R10 represents hydroxyl or the radical xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R10 has the meanings of R10 indicated above for a group, which in the sense of a prodrug can be broken down to the carboxylic acid xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94OH or its salts,
and
R6 represents straight-chain or branched (C1-C8)-alkyl.
The following individual compounds may be mentioned by way of example and preferably:
Compounds of the formula 1 in which R3 has the meanings indicated in Table 1 (* in the table denotes the linkage site):
Individual compounds of the formula 2 in which R3 in each case has the meanings indicated in Table 1 and R2, instead of methyl from the formula 1, for each of the individual compounds 1 to 35 in each case has the meanings indicated in Table 2 for R2:
Individual compounds of the formula 3 in which R2 and R3 in each case have the meanings indicated in Tables 1 and 2 and R1, instead of methyl from formula 2, for each of the individual compounds 1 to 490 in each case has the meanings indicated in Table 3 for R1:
Individual compounds of the formula 4 in which R1, R2 and R3 in each case have the meanings indicated in Tables 1, 2 and 3 and R6, instead of methyl from formula 3, for each of the individual compounds 1 to 6860 in each case has the meanings indicated in Table 4 for R6:
The compounds of the general formula (I) according to the invention can be prepared by reacting reactive indole derivatives of the general formula(II) with reactive phenyl derivatives of the general formula (III) 
where the substituents R1, R2, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8 have the meanings indicated above, and
R3xe2x80x2 has the meaning indicated for R3 or represents NO2, NH2, NHxe2x80x94PG, OH, Oxe2x80x94PG, SH, Sxe2x80x94PG, or represents an aldehyde, cyano, carboxyl or (C1-C4)-alkoxycarbonyl group,
where PG represents a protective group,
X and Y in each case represent groups of opposite reactivity, where, for example, X can be an electrophilic radical which reacts with a nucleophilic Y substituent and vice versa,
Zxe2x80x2 has the meaning indicated for Z or represents 
xe2x80x83if appropriate in the presence of inert solvents and catalysts and if appropriate with isolation of the intermediates of the general formula (IV) or directly to give compounds of the formula (I).
Catalysts which may be mentioned by way of example are coupling catalysts such as Pd, Rh and/or Cu compounds.
Examples of the reactive groups X and Y which may be mentioned are: halogen, hydroxyl, CH2Br, mercapto, amino, CHO, Li, magnesium, tin or boron derivatives.
The indoles of the general formula (II) which can be employed according to the invention are known or can be prepared according to known methods [compare, for example, Ozaki et al., Heterocycles 51, 727-731 (1999); Harvey et al., J. Chem. Soc., 473 (1959); Quadbeck et al., Hoppe-Seyler""s Z. Physiolog. Chem. 297, 229 (1954); Chen et al., J. Org. Chem. 59, 3738 (1994); Synthesis, 480 (1988); J. prakt. Chem. 340, 608 (1998)].
The phenyl derivatives of the general formula (III) are likewise known or can be prepared according to known methods [compare, for example, van de Bunt, Recl. Trav. Chim. Pays-Bas 48, 131 (1929); Valkanas, J. Chem. Soc., 5554 (1963)].
The reaction of the starting compounds (II) with (III) in general proceeds at normal pressure. However, it can also be carried out at elevated or reduced pressure.
The reaction can be carried out in a temperature range from xe2x88x92100xc2x0 C. to 200xc2x0 C., preferably between xe2x88x9278xc2x0 C. and 150xc2x0 C., in the presence of inert solvents. Inert solvents which may preferably be mentioned are: dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO), dimethylformamide (DMF), N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NMP), tetrahydrofuran (THF), diethyl ether, dichloromethane etc.
Depending on the specific substituent pattern, in the reaction of (II) and (III) intermediates of the formula (IV) can also be formed in which, for example, the substituent R3xe2x80x2 represents a nitro, aldehyde, cyano, carboxyl or alkoxycarbonyl group or Zxe2x80x2 represents a CHOH or C(O) group, which are then further reacted with or without isolation of these intermediates according to customary methods to give compounds of the formula (I).
The process according to the invention can be illustrated by way of example by the following reaction schemes:
Process Variant (A) 
Xxe2x95x90F, Cl, Br, I, B(OH)2; Yxe2x95x90OH, SH, NH2 or Xxe2x95x90OH, SH, NH2; Yxe2x95x90F, Cl, Br, I, B(OH)2 
Process Variant (B) 
Xxe2x95x90CHO; Yxe2x95x90Li, MgCl, MgBr or Xxe2x95x90Li, MgCl, MgBr; Yxe2x95x90CHO 
Process Variant (C) 
X and/or Y=Halogen 
Depending on the meaning of the substituents R1, R2, R4, R5, R6, R7 and R8, it can be useful or necessary to vary these at individual process stages within the scope of meaning indicated.
Protective groups (PG) are understood in the present application as meaning those groups in starting materials, intermediates and/or final products which protect functional groups present such as, for example, carboxyl, amino, mercapto or hydroxyl groups and which are customary in preparative organic chemistry. The groups protected in this way can then be converted into free functional groups in a simple manner under known conditions.
The compounds of the formula (I) according to the invention show a surprising and valuable pharmacological spectrum of action and can therefore be employed as versatile medicaments for the treatment of human and mammals, as for example cats and dogs. In particular, they can be employed in all indications which can be treated using natural thyroid hormones, such as by way of example and preferably, depression, goitre or cancer of the thyroid. Preferably, using the compounds of the formula (I) according to the invention, arteriosclerosis, hypercholesterolaemia, and dyslipidaemia can be treated. Moreover, adiposity and obesity and cardiac insufficiency can also be treated and a postprandial lowering of the triglycerides can be achieved.
The compounds are also suitable for the treatment of certain respiratory tract diseases, namely in particular of pulmonary emphysema and for the medicinal promotion of maturation of the lungs.
The compounds are furthermore suitable for the treatment of painful conditions and migraine, for neuronal repair (remyelinization) and also for the treatment of Alzheimer""s disease.
The compounds are furthermore suitable for the treatment of osteoporosis, cardiac arrhythmias, hypothyroidism and skin diseases.
Moreover, the compounds can also be employed for promotion and regeneration of hair growth and for the treatment of diabetes.
The active compounds according to the invention open up a further treatment alternative and are an enrichment of pharmacy. In comparison to the known and previously employed thyroid hormone preparations, the compounds according to the invention show an improved spectrum of action. They are preferably distinguished by great specificity, good tolerability and lower side effects, in particular in the cardiovascular area.
The efficacy of the compounds according to the invention can be tested, for example, in vitro by the T3 promoter assay cell test described below:
The test is carried out using a stably transfected, human HepG2 hepatocarcinoma cell which expresses a luciferase gene under the control of a thyroid hormone-regulated promoter. The vector used for the transfection carries, ahead of the luciferase gene, a minimal thymidine kinase promoter having a thyroid hormone-responsive element (TRE), which consists of two inverted palindromes of 12 Bp each and an 8 Bp spacer.
For the test, the cell cultures are inoculated into 96 well plates in Eagle""s Minimal Essential Medium with the following additives: glutamine, tricine [N-(tris(hydroxymethyl)methyl)glycine], sodium pyruvate, non-essential amino acids (L-Ala, L-Asn, L-Asp, L-Pro, L-Ser, L-Glu, Gly), insulin, selenium and transferrin. The cultures are grown for 48 hours at 37xc2x0 C. and under a 10% CO2 atmosphere. Serial dilutions of test substance or reference compound (T3, T4) and costimulator retinolic acid are then added to the test cultures and these are incubated as beforehand for a further 48 or 72 hours. Each substance concentration is tested in four replicates. For the determination of the luciferase induced by T3 or other substances, the cells are then lysed by addition of a Triton- and luciferin-containing buffer (from Promega) and immediately measured luminometrically. The EC50 values of each compound are calculated. Representative results for the compounds according to the invention are shown in Table 5:
The compounds according to the invention also show surprisingly advantageous properties in the tests described below:
Test descriptions for the discovery of pharmacologically active substances:
The substances which are to be investigated for their serum cholesterol-lowering action in vivo are administered orally to male mice having a bodyweight of between 25 and 35 g. The animals are divided into groups having an identical number of animals, as a rule n=7-10, one day before the start of the experiment. During the entire experiment, drinking water and feed is available ad libitum to the animals. The substances are administered orally once daily for 7 days. For this purpose, the test substances are dissolved, for example, in a solution of Solutol HS 15+ethanol+sodium chloride solution (0.9%) in a ratio 1+1+8 or in a solution of Solutol HS 15+sodium chloride solution (0.9%) in the ratio 2+8. The dissolved substances are administered in a volume of 10 ml/kg of bodyweight using a stomach tube. As a control group, animals are used which have been treated exactly the same, but only receive the solvent (10 ml/kg of bodyweight) without test substance.
Before the first substance administration, blood is taken from each mouse for the determination of the serum cholesterol by puncture of the retroorbital venous plexus (preliminary value). The test substance is then administered to the animals for the first time using a stomach tube. 24 hours after the last substance administration (on the 8th day after the start of treatment), blood is again taken from each animal for the determination of the serum cholesterol by puncture of the retroorbital venous plexus. The blood samples are centrifuged and, after recovering the serum, the cholesterol is determined photometrically using an EPOS analyser 5050 (Eppendorf-Gerxc3xa4tebau, Netheler and Hinz GmbH, Hamburg). The determination is carried out using a commercially available enzyme test (Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim).
The action of the test substances on the serum cholesterol concentration is determined by subtraction of the cholesterol value of the 1st blood sample (preliminary value) from the cholesterol value of the 2nd blood sample (after treatment). The differences of all cholesterol values of a group are averaged and compared with the average value of the differences of the control group.
Statistical analysis is carried out using Student""s t test after prior checking of the variances for homogeneity.
Substances which statistically significantly (p less than 0.05) lower the serum cholesterol of the treated animals, compared with the control group, by at least 10% are regarded as pharmacologically active.
At the end of the test, the animals are weighed and sacrificed after taking blood. To check for potential cardiovascular side effects under the influence of substance, the hearts are removed and weighed. An effect on the cardiovascular system can be detected by a significant increase in the heart weight. A further parameter which can be used for the substance action is a bodyweight change.
In an analogous manner, it is possible to use, for example, NMRI mice, ob,ob mice, Wistar rats or fa,fa diabetic rats as experimental animals for this test.
A further in vivo test in which the compounds according to the invention show surprisingly advantageous properties is the cholesterol-fed rat animal model [A. Taylor et al., Molecular Pharmacology 52, 542-547 (1997); Z. Stephan et al., Atherosclerosis 126, 53-63 (1996)].
Furthermore, the cholesterol-lowering action of the compounds according to the invention can also be checked on normocholesterolaemic dogs by oral administration of the test substances for 5-7 days.
For the further investigation of potential cardiovascular side effects under the influence of substance, it is possible to use, inter alia, the determination of the expression of the mRNA of the xe2x80x9cHCN2xe2x80x9d ion channel (xe2x80x9chyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channelxe2x80x9d) in mouse or rat hearts [cf also: Trost et al., Endocrinology 141 (9), 3057-3064 (2000); Gloss et al., Endocrinology 142 (2), 544-550 (2001); Pachuki et al., Circulation Research 85, 498-503 (1999)]:
The quantification of the mRNA of the xe2x80x9chyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gatedxe2x80x9d cation channel (HCN2) in rat hearts was carried out by means of real-time PCR (TaqMan-PCR; Heid et al., Genome Res. 6 (10), 986-994). For this, after preparation of the hearts the total RNA is isolated by means of RNaesy columns (from Qiagen), digested with DNase and then transcribed into cDNA (SUPERSCRIPT-II RT cDNA synthesis kit, from Gibco). The HCN2 mRNA determination is carried out on an ABI Prism 7700 apparatus (from Applied Biosystems). The sequence of the xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d primer read: 5xe2x80x2-GGGAATCGACTCCGAGGTC-3xe2x80x2 or 5xe2x80x2-GATCTTGGTGAAACGCACGA-3xe2x80x2, that of the fluorescent probe 5xe2x80x2-6FAM-ACAAGACGGCCCGTGCACTACGC-TAMRA-3 (FAM=fluorescent dye 6-carboxyfluorescein; TAMRA=quencher 6-carboxytetramethylrhodamine). During the polymerase chain reaction, the Taq polymerase of the fluorescent dye FAM is removed by the 5xe2x80x2 exonuclease activity and the previously quenched fluorescence signal is thereby obtained. The xe2x80x9cthreshold cyclexe2x80x9d (Ct value) is distinguished as the number of cycles in which the fluorescence intensity was 10 standard deviations above the background fluorescence. The relative expression of the HCN2 mRNA calculated thereby is then standardized to the expression of the ribosomal protein L32.
In an analogous manner, this assay can also be carried out using mice hearts. The sequence of the xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d primer in this case read 5xe2x80x2-CGAGGTGCTGGAGGAATACC-3xe2x80x2 or 5xe2x80x2-CTAGCCGGTCAATAGCCACAG-3xe2x80x2, that of the fluorescent sample 5xe2x80x2-6FAM-CATGATGCGGCGTGCCTTTGAG-TMARA-3.
All customary administration forms are suitable for the administration of the compounds of the general formula (I), i.e. oral, parenteral, inhalatory, nasal, sublingual, buccal, rectal or external such as, for example, transdermal, in particular preferably oral or parenteral. In the case of parenteral administration, intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous administration may be mentioned in particular, e.g. as a subcutaneous depot. Oral administration is very particularly preferred.
In particular, compounds of the general formulae (Ia) and (Ib) have surprisingly advantageous pharmacokinetic properties after oral administration, for example with respect to bioavailability, the active compound concentration in the blood, the half-life and/or the excretion rate.
The active compounds can be administered here on their own or in the form of preparations. For oral administration, suitable preparations are, inter alia, tablets, capsules, pellets, coated tablets, pills, granules, solid and liquid aerosols, syrups, emulsions, suspensions and solutions. The active compound must be present here in such an amount that a therapeutic action is achieved. In general, the active compound can be present in a concentration of 0.1 to 100% by weight, in particular 0.5 to 90% by weight, preferably 5 to 80% by weight. In particular, the concentration of the active compound should be 0.5-90% by weight, i.e. the active compound should be present in amounts which are sufficient to achieve the dosage range indicated.
For this purpose, the active compounds can be converted into the customary preparations in a known manner. This is carried out using inert, non-toxic, pharmaceutically suitable vehicles, excipients, solvents, vehicles, emulsifiers and/or dispersants.
Excipients which may be mentioned are, for example: water, non-toxic organic solvents such as, for example, paraffins, vegetable oils (e.g. sesame oil), alcohols (e.g. ethanol, glycerol), glycols (e.g. polyethylene glycol), solid carriers such as ground natural or synthetic minerals (e.g. talc or silicates), sugars (e.g. lactose), emulsifiers, dispersants (e.g. polyvinylpyrrolidone) and lubricants (e.g. magnesium sulphate).
In the case of oral administration, tablets can, of course, also contain additives such as sodium citrate together with additional substances such as starch, gelatin and the like. Aqueous preparations for oral administrations can furthermore be mixed with flavour enhancers or colorants.
In the case of oral administration, doses of 0.001 to 5 mg/kg, preferably 0.001 to 3 mg/kg, of bodyweight are preferably administered every 24 hours.
The new active compounds can be administered on their own and, if required, also in combination with other active compounds, preferably from the group consisting of CETP inhibitors, antidiabetics, antioxidants, cytostatics, calcium antagonists, hypotensive agents, thyroid hormones, inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase, inhibitors of HMG-CoA reductase gene expression, squalene synthesis inhibitors, ACAT inhibitors, circulation-promoting agents, platelet aggregation inhibitors, anticoagulants, angiotensin II receptor antagonists, cholesterol absorption inhibitors, MTP inhibitors, aldose reductase inhibitors, fibrates, niacin, anorectics, lipase inhibitors and PPAR agonists.
The following working examples are intended to illustrate the invention by way of example without restrictive action on the scope of protection.